A major California university is building an arena dedicated to eSports

UCI students face off at "League of Legends" in the Student Center's Zot Zone. The Association of Gamers at UCI The University of California-Irvine is building a dedicated space for gamers on campus to compete in the cut-throat world of professional eSports.

In the fall, UCI says it will open a 3,500 square-foot arena in its student center, packed with 80 brand new computers, a stage, and a studio for broadcasting live competitions.

The announcement emphasized the space as being perfect for battles in "League of Legends," an eSports game where teams of five face off to destroy the other team's base first. It's free-to-play, incredibly difficult to master, and among the most popular games in the world.

"We hope to attract the best gamers from around the world, and our academic programs in computer gaming science, digital arts, computer science, engineering, anthropology, law, medicine, neuroscience and behavior create a strong foundation for research and inquiry related to gaming," Thomas Parham, vice chancellor for student affairs, said in a statement.

UCI partnered with Los Angeles-based Riot Games (the makers of "League of Legends") and computer maker iBuyPower to outfit the arena with the software and high-end machines needed to play. When it opens, it will make UCI the first public research university to create an official spot for eSports competitions.

A mockup of what the UCI eSports Arena will look like. UCI

It also said as many as 10 academic scholarships would be given to students on the UCI eSports team.

In addition to its close proximity to Riot Games, Irvine, California is home to Blizzard Entertainment, the makers of "Heroes of the Storm" — another eSports game that has its own professional league, which is broadcast by ESPN. And with more than 300 student gaming clubs on campus, College Magazine ranked UCI as the best school for gamers in 2015.